


face off (my heart)

by captainsabs (juliansweigl)



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 11:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13294326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juliansweigl/pseuds/captainsabs
Summary: Beca doesn't take shit from anybody on or off the ice.or,Beca Mitchell is a professional ice hockey player with a bad reputation and Chloe Beale reports on her.





	face off (my heart)

**Author's Note:**

> I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS OK?
> 
> it's late, i'm tired, i love hockey and Beca Mitchell as a hockey player NEEDS to be a thing. also, i know i've used actual NWHL players but really the one-shot only focuses on Beca and Chloe.
> 
> also, i tried to post this four times but my internet is really bad and i'm stressed.

Beca doesn’t take shit from anybody on or  _off_ the ice.

 

Beca Mitchell was approaching her fifth year playing for the Boston Pride in the National Women’s Hockey League and  _boy_ , she was one of the best hockey stars around but she always had one downfall that seemed to stall her career at the most inappropriate of times; her attitude. Beca wasn’t a malicious person by any means she was just able to stand up for herself, she was able to fight her own battles, she had to, nobody else was going to do it for her, but sometimes her ability to stand up and make herself counted in the face of an argument left her with too much to say to the wrong person or sometimes, a punch does the trick.

 

“Beca…” Thomas Pöck trailed off before slamming the magazine down on his desk and glaring at his superstar who was leaning back in her chair, legs swung over the side as she keeps her arms folded and her eyes trained on her coach. “This is the fourth brawl this month!” Thomas exclaims, jumping to his feet; his hands gripping his desk as he leans closer to Beca. “Does the realization that you’re going to be suspended not even occur to you?”

 

Beca bites back the expletive on her tongue or the urge to shout back that she is one of the best players on this team and that they would be nothing without her but Thomas is  _furious_  so Beca backs down from this particular argument and instead sighs; running a hand through her messy ponytail and solemnly nods instead, meeting her coach’s eyes again before reaching over and taking the magazine from his desk; flicking through the pages until she lands on page 3 and there in all it’s  _glory_ is Beca swinging for a man in his thirties; if you were to ask the brunette what was said to cause that reaction – well Beca wouldn’t be able to remember. That’s her problem, she fights, she argues and causes drama for herself but sixteen hours later she can barely even remember what sparked her initial reaction. Beca skims the article, swallowing thickly and laughing at one particular line.

 

_Beca Mitchell is running a thin blade on the ice; will she keep her place in the National side with the Olympics just next year?_

 

Beca rolls her eyes; of course she was going to keep her place, she hasn’t missed a roster announcement since she was eighteen years old and she wasn’t about to start now because she swung and missed a punch on a thirty-something year old man. Beca closes the magazine but keeps it placed in her lap as she glances up again.

 

“Can I go now?” She asks, rather impatiently as she taps her fingers on the arm of the old office chair.

 

Thomas doesn’t answer, instead he just gestures to the door. “Keep the magazine as a reminder you’re on thin ice.” He does say when Beca is up and has reached the door.

 

“Ignore the pun though, right?” Beca jokes but she isn’t laughing, her laughter is dry as she walks out of the office and heads back to the locker room.

 

 

It takes Beca nearly four hours for the severity of her latest incident to feel like a punch to the hockey star’s stomach when it seems every single news channel seems to be covering the punch-up outside the restaurant in downtown Boston the night before. Beca continues (guiltier) turning the channels until she lands on one channel; of course the reporter is talking about what consequences that Beca could face but it’s not that, what catches Beca’s eye is the reporter; she’s beautiful; so Beca watches, stomach turning at how smooth the reporter’s voice is as she continues to berate Beca’s behavior and maybe Beca does start to feel even worse about her actions; she finds herself laughing at her own pathetic-ness just a few minutes later, hands rubbing over her face as she realizes that everyone has been right all along; Beca might be heading down a dark route with her inability to stay calm in  _any_ situation.

 

“I’m Chloe Beale, reporting from Warrior Ice Arena.”

 

Beca lifts her head again, with just enough time left to catch Chloe Beale’s smile to the camera before the cameras are back in the studio and the subject has changed to something about the zoo.

 

_Chloe Beale._

 

 

Beca is skating, so hard, so fast, not stopping for a second; she thinks she might puke but she can’t force herself to get off the ice. Her mind is driving her crazy and she thinks it’s ridiculous that now; after twenty-seven years, she finally has a guilty conscience, she was perfectly fine up until three days ago when everybody started treating her like she probably deserved to be treated; the majority of her teammates wouldn’t even spare her a glance; all thinking the same thing, Thomas was being harder on her than anyone but Beca didn’t mind  _that_. Skating until she couldn’t feel her legs, slamming puck after puck into the goal was helping her, it was keeping her mind of everything; of her life, of her bad decisions, off  _Chloe Beale’s_ smile, so Beca skated. She could feel her legs becoming tired but she pushed on, using everything she had until she hears footsteps and they sound like heels on the stairs. Beca skates to a halt, wiping a band of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve before looking around, trying to find who was making noise and when she does; she freezes; Chloe Beale is walking down the stairs, slowly, seemingly staring in Beca’s direction.

 

“What are you doing here?” The question is asked before Beca can stop or even take a second to wince at how harsh it sounds.

 

“Press conference.” Chloe replies in similar fashion; her tone as emotionless as it comes. “I’ve never seen you skate so fast.” Chloe is the next to break the silence and Beca raises her eyebrows; wondering why Chloe thinks she has the  _audacity_ to comment on her skating. “You don’t usually skate that fast in games.”

 

“Clearly you don’t watch many games then.” Beca mutters but the words bounce off the walls and Chloe catches them.

 

“I’ve seen plenty of your games, Beca Mitchell; even if I wasn’t a fan, you’re in the news so much I’d want to watch you just to see what they’re talking about.” Chloe shrugs, continuing down the steps until she’s at the edge of the rink.

 

Beca hasn’t moved but she does chuckle at Chloe’s words. “I saw your report the other day, you don’t seem impressed.” And Beca has no idea why she’s even entertaining a reporter who when the minute she leaves will twist her words and make her look like even more of a moron on national television.

 

“I’m impressed with  _you._ ” Chloe counters. “How could I not be? A star in both college and the big league, a three time Isobel Cup winner and MVP for the last two years, Olympic champion; your resume is one an aspiring hockey player could only dream of. It’s your attitude and the way you portray yourself off the ice that I don’t like.”

 

Beca nods knowing she can’t argue with that so instead she skates to the edge of the rink and stops; glancing at Chloe.

 

“You’re right. I’m incapable of leaving the arena without having an altercation with somebody.” Beca admits, the harshness having completely left her tone at this point and instead she just sounds tired.

 

“Why?” Chloe asks, “You never used to be like this; in college you were one of the nicest players in the league.”

 

Beca nods; laughing bitterly as she remembers just how far she’s fallen since her collegiate hockey days at the University of Minnesota; she was once famed for being ‘ _the nicest_ _kid in the NCAA._ ’ The thought now seems absurd considering she’s now public enemy number one in the world of women’s ice hockey.

 

“How the mighty have fallen, huh?” Beca smiles sadly, raising her eyebrows at Chloe who just shrugs in response.

 

“You’re twenty-seven Beca, you have your whole career still ahead of you; there’s always time to change.” Chloe suggests, stepping forward before thinking better of it and reverting to her original position.

 

“Isn’t it too late? Nobody is going to believe I’ve changed.” Beca sighs, tilting her head back and blowing out hot air. “Nobody is going to believe I can go back to being the person I was in Minnesota; I’m too far gone.”

 

“It’s never too late, and hey-” Chloe does let her hand fall on Beca’s shoulder as the brunette looks at her “-if you got your act together, you have my support, a hundred percent.” Chloe smiles at Beca before looking at her watch and leaving as it was only a few minutes before the press conference was due to begin.

 

Beca watches her go, she has nearly everything Chloe Beale said to her swimming in her mind; unable to get the words of ‘ _if you got your act together, you have my support._ ’ Out of her head and Beca doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or if it’s joint-worst at this point. Beca packs up not long after, throwing her skates into her bag and pulling an old Minnesota hoodie over her head; she ties up her hair into a ponytail before grabbing her bag and exiting the locker room; closing the door over, she spies Chloe at the end of the hallway heading towards the exit and Beca feels lighter than she has in a long time as she heads out the opposite direction to her car.

 

Beca stops at her favorite coffee shop in Boston; Cafenation; she orders an Americano; standing off to the side and getting lost in her own thoughts until she hears hushed whispers behind her, so Beca turns her head and finds two girls around twelve or thirteen whispering and pointing in Beca’s direction until the taller one pushes her friend closer to Beca.

 

“Can I – we – my friend and I have a picture?” The girl asks timidly and that’s when Beca notices the Boston Pride logo on her t-shirt. The girl waits with anticipation on her face before Beca nods and joins the girl’s side as her friend takes a picture of the two of them before the girl’s swap and whoever the adult they were with takes a picture of both girls with Beca.

 

The girls are giddy afterwards; thanking Beca four or five times before they leave and Beca just chuckles as she takes her coffee and grabs some sugar and creamer. The one thought running through her head as she leaves the coffee shop to go back to her car is that even though she is a complete mess off the ice; her personal life doesn’t seem to matter as  _much_ to her fans on the ice; as long as she keeps performing for her team, she’s always going to have supporters but that doesn’t mean Beca can’t try to change her image, so that’s what she plans to do; with the season coming to a close in just under seven weeks; she thinks she can, she knows she can stop her name being dragged through the mud and if the idea had only occurred to her because she spent ten minutes talking to Chloe Beale; then nobody has to know.

 

So Beca starts the only way she can think of; by revisiting her college years; looking through photo albums that night at all the success she had as a Golden Gopher; so much happened during those four years and not just constantly winning on the ice; she made an impact of it; she pulls out a cutout of a newspaper article from when she was in her junior year and reads it.

 

_Golden Gopher spends her afternoon with kids at local hospital._

 

Beca smiles when she looks at the picture; she’s sitting on a bed in her hockey jersey as she plays a card game with a boy around eight or nine who’s lying in the bed, hooked up to an IV; she remembers feeling down on herself after a particularly tough loss against their rivals sometime during that season and whilst she was feeling sorry for herself; she was flicking through the TV channels and landed on a report about how children sick in hospital felt lonely and Beca responded in the only way she knew; by helping; she must have spent nearly eight hours playing and talking with a ward full of children but the minute she left the building afterwards; she felt better than she ever had before; looking even closer at the picture only makes Beca feel worse as she wonders just where did this hockey player lose everything she ever held close to her heart. She looked the same because Beca Mitchell has not aged in seven years but everything about her is different; she’s not that person anymore and she hates herself for letting herself be dragged down to the level she’s at now.

 

 

XxX

 

 

It takes a couple of weeks but Beca slowly begins to change her image (subtly); she spends time with kids in a local hospital in Boston, she works harder on the ice and regains the trust of her teammates that her bad days are behind her and the difference is more than just visible on the ice; everything about the way the Pride play is fluent, light and they tear through the league as it heads into the final four weeks of the season; the Pride are battling the Buffalo Beauts at the top of the table; only two points separating the teams with the both of them due to face each other in Boston on the final day of the season, essentially a battle to the death to win the league. Everyone starts to see the change and Thomas is more relieved than anybody else; no more having to defend Beca’s actions in press conferences gives him a lighter and happier approach to his team talks, tactics and training sessions.

 

Beca starts to feel like her old self.

 

“I told you that you could do it.”

 

Beca jumps and whips her head around, nearly dropping the bag of pasta in her hand as Chloe laughs, her hand on the cart.

 

“Never too late to make a change, right?” Beca laughs nervously, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth.

 

“Don’t use my own words; Beca Mitchell.” Chloe laughs, playfully punching the hockey star’s shoulder.

 

Beca doesn’t know what this feeling is; well, she does but it’s a feeling she hasn’t felt for so long she forgot she could have feelings like this; deep down Beca knows the only reason she’s feeling something for the reporter is because she’s the reason Beca started to work to erase her ‘hockey bad girl’ image but Beca wishes this feeling wouldn’t go away; she wants to constantly find herself smiling, feeling lighter and happier in Chloe’s presence but she knows it’s a one-sided thing consciously and it  _hurts_. It’s ridiculous that Beca is crushing on a reporter because when do those relationships ever work out but Beca can’t stop herself and she knows she’s going to have to try hard to get over this crush.

 

“Nice chicken.” The brunette comments before raising her eyebrows and regretting opening her mouth;  _who compliments a dead chicken?_

 

Chloe just laughs it off before winking at Beca. “Maybe you should come over and I’ll cook it for you.”

 

“Wait – really?” Beca asks and the smile drops from Chloe’s face as the redhead’s eyes grow wide, her cheeks turn crimson and Chloe starts spluttering out a reply that Beca can’t understand.

 

So, Beca waits and waits until Chloe has calmed herself down and can muster up a proper, clearly pronounced reply.

 

“I’d love that, Beca Mitchell. How about tonight?” Chloe suggests and Beca finds herself agreeing before she can stop herself.

 

 

Beca is at Chloe’s apartment door at seven sharp; a bottle of wine in her hand as she pulls at the collar of her shirt, feeling nervous as a bead of sweat drips down her forehead; she lifts her hand to knock before dropping it and muttering to herself to get it together before she re-lifts her hand and knocks; there’s commotion inside the apartment before Chloe pulls the door open with a huff, she’s wearing a kiss the cook apron and there’s flour on her cheek.

 

“Is that apron optional or should I just follow the instructions?” Beca teases.

 

Chloe looks down at her apron, chuckling and blushing a deep red. “I’ll leave that completely up to you.” Chloe flirts; Beca’s  _sure_ she’s flirting as Chloe takes the bottle of wine from the brunette.

 

The two of them talk about themselves; Chloe ignoring the niggling question in the back of her mind to ask about Beca’s recent charity work, visits to the hospital and overall change in her lifestyle over the last couple of weeks so instead she listens, laughs and asks questions about Beca growing up, how she first got into hockey and asking about her family; that’s when the hockey player’s face drops.

 

Beca scratches at the back of her neck awkwardly. “My mom and dad divorced when I was eight; my dad moved to Cleveland and my mom and I became distant. Hockey was the only escape I had, we fought a lot; my mom and dad, and my mom and me and after my dad moved away, I never really saw him so my hockey team became my family.” Beca starts to explain, cursing herself for feeling tears prickling the corners of her eyes. “I haven’t seen my dad in ten years, I haven’t really spoken to my mom for two years; it sucks you know? When a family falls apart it ruins a kid.”

 

Chloe reaches across the table and holds Beca’s hand; rubbing her thumb over Beca’s knuckles. “I think it makes you stronger.”

 

Beca laughs and dabs at her eyes before turning to face Chloe. “I think it makes me a fool for living in a fairytale world for so long; I used to lie to my teammates and friends that my life wasn’t a disaster.”

 

“Beca Mitchell-” Chloe tightens her grip on Beca’s hand. “- I think you’re one of the strongest people I have ever met; you’re the one who’s doing everything she can to change her image after all.”

 

Chloe doesn’t ask the question how she wanted to ask it but Beca figures it out either way.

 

“That doesn’t mean it comes easily; I’m guessing you have read the articles about how I’m just doing this to save my place on the Olympic roster and to avoid suspension?”

 

“I have.” Chloe replies. “I also know it’s bullshit. Beca I feel like I know you; and I know you wouldn’t do that because I seem to remember after a bust up last season you served a six game suspension. I know you’re doing this because you’re  _not_ the person the media makes you out to be.”

 

“You know you’re a reporter, right?” Beca asks her; her voice is somewhere between teasing and wanting to roll her eyes at Chloe for berating Beca’s actions just last month.

 

“That was before I met you.” Chloe reminds her. “I was reporting on what I knew, even if I didn’t know exactly who you were; I know you now and I know you’re trying.”

 

 

They eat their dinner, the conversation lighter after that as the women take it in turns to make each other laugh; they drink one (too) many glasses of wine and as Beca’s leaving; Chloe surges forward and kisses Beca; she tastes like Merlot and it’s intoxicating for the both of them.

 

Chloe and Beca start to date shortly after; managing to evade the media’s eyes and suspicions by laughing off the comments and questions about them dating whilst simply stating they struck up a friendship when Chloe conducted an unaired interview with Beca a few months back, it’s a complete lie and Beca can see right through it but the media buy it and Chloe and Beca continue to fool them by hiding out and having date nights at each other’s apartments.

 

 

XxX

 

 

The big day arrives.

 

The final game of the NWHL season with the Boston Pride facing off against the Buffalo Beauts with just one point separating both teams at the top of the table it’s a winner takes all today and  _everybody_ is up for it. The Warrior Ice Arena sells out for the first time this season with fans of all ages filing into the arena, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement as they get ready for the most anticipated hockey game of the season. Both teams are up for it as well knowing all is not lost; Buffalo Beauts are currently in the driving seat; a point ahead of Boston at the top of table; despite the small gap, the Beauts know they have it all to lose and are desperate to not let the same thing happen as it did two years ago when they lost the title in the final minute to the Metropolitan Riveters; giving the Riveters their first ever championship; both teams want this win to go into the playoffs at the end of the season with all momentum to win the Isobel Cup – a trophy that Boston definitely want to retain to top off what would be a drama-filled, but successful year of ice hockey.

 

The puck is dropped to a huge roar of encouragement from the arena full of Pride fans; all urging their girls forward, chants, songs and screams of ‘hit it’ are heard all the way down on the ice as Beca passes the puck across to Brianna Decker before being body slammed into the side Jordyn Burns and before she knows it; Beca is up and throwing a punch towards the Beauts’ player before being hauled backwards by Hilary Knight and thrown in the opposite direction. When the anger fades, so does the good hockey; despite the bouncing of the crowd; the game on the ice turns cagey, both teams taking care and defending their goals with all they have. It takes until the final minute of the first period for the Beauts to take the lead; Jess Jones with the goal and the Pride are defeated for a second before Brianna Decker is clapping and encouraging her teammates as the timer runs out.

 

The second period starts and the Pride are level before the Beauts have even realized; Hilary Knight slamming home. The timer continues to run down; both teams exiting their cagey phases and going all out, bodies are slammed, showing off commences but it’s the Pride who score again when Brianna Decker shrugs free and is able to swipe the puck into the goal. The crowd erupts, the noise in the arena louder than they have heard before, all urging  _their_ girls forward as the timer continues to count down until the second period is over. Beca starts the third period on the bench; wedged in-between Emily Field and Lexi Bender. Beca turns her head and smiles when she catches familiar locks of red hair; Chloe is focusing on the game, cheering along with the crowd as she does and Beca has  _never_ felt a feeling like it; Chloe feels someone staring and when she glances downwards; a smile beams across her face when she meets Beca’s eyes; blowing the hockey player a kiss and Beca suddenly feels momentum like never before; she begs and begs Thomas to put her in already; the Beauts tie the game up again at 2-2 with just two minutes left and Thomas finally concedes as Beca jumps over the wall and rejoins her teammates on the ice.

 

The timer is running down and everybody knows it; as it stands; the Buffalo Beauts were going to finish top of the table but Beca  _wasn’t_ having that; she steals possession of the puck and skates forward, her feet moving with such speed that nobody stands a chance of catching her; she thinks there can only be seconds left; everybody in the arena is holding their breath; both teams of substitutes are standing forward, waiting, watching as Beca zooms forward and swings her stick back as the puck shoots high, and higher and hits the top left corner of the net as the buzzer sounds.

 

Beca has never heard a noise like it; the arena is in jubilation and so are her teammates but Beca has eyes for one person and Chloe is smiling at her, tears in her eyes.

 

Beca is standing with her teammates as Chloe is reporting on live TV about the result and with a gentle nudge; Beca is skating across the ice, grabbing Chloe by the waist and kissing her with every single ounce of energy she still has left; well aware that there is a camera on the both of them but she doesn’t care; all that matters is Beca is a winner on  _and_ off the ice.

 

“So much for keeping it a secret.” Chloe huffs playfully when Beca pulls away.

 

“Babe, you’re the last secret I want to keep.” Beca grins before kissing Chloe again.

 

 _Oh, and the Boston Pride retain the Isobel Cup._  

 


End file.
